Kiln for firing pottery



(No Model.) 2 s eets-snags 1.

L'. LAWTON. KILN FOR FIRING POTTERY, &c.

No. 524,390. Patented Aug. 14, 1894.

'IIITTIQI If: 2056mm;- Znuenfir I M @4 I" .W' [5/ 2 Sheet-Shegfi 2, I

(No Model.)

' Patented "Aug. 14, 1894.

& R m N 0M P G v N AT. LE P LE 0 F N L I K verdah' V "UNITED, STATE "LEWISVLAWTON, or TIRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

KlLN FOR FIRING POTTERY, etc. 1

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 524,390, dated August 14, 1894. Applicati n flied December a. 1891. Renewed March 5, 1894. Eierial 110.592.439. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- 7 Be it known that I, LEWIS LAWTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer, in the State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kilns for Firing Pottery and other Manufactures of Clay, of which the followingis a specification. V The object of'my invention is to provide in a down draft kiln a novel construction of fines so combined as to produce'a practically uniform degree of heat throughout the entire firing chamber which contains the ware to befired, and to produce this elfect with a great economy of fuel.

1 I shall'now proceed to fully describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 shows a vertical section of the kiln on the broken line 5-6 in Figs. 2 and 4, and also shows in perspective sufiicient of the inner construction of the kiln to insure clear-- ness. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the kiln below the line 91O in Fig. 1, with a portion of the floor of the kiln-chamber removed to show the construction and arrangement of fines beneath the same. I Fig. 3 is a plan view in section of the central draft chamber, taken on the line 7-8 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is aplan view of the crown or domeof the kiln taken below the line 1l12 in Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of lines on the crown with portions of theflue coverings removed to show the internal construction of those fines.

In the drawings like lettersindicate like parts. p A indicates the fire boxes; 13, the foundation piers or divisions between the fireboxes,

G the fire bag; D the inner lining of the kiln; E outlets or perforations through the-crown of the kiln connecting with fines F on the crown. l

H is an annular flue encircling the kilnchamber, and extending from a point a little above the level of the floor of the kiln to the spring of the crown.

K are fines leading from the'foot of the annular flue H to'the branch flues K.

L is the central draft chamber. I M is the flue leading from the central draft chamber to a stack or chimney not shown in the drawings, but which is of ordinary construction, and placed at aconvenient distance from the kiln, and arranged to convey the products of combustion from the kiln and pass them into the outer air.

N is the crown or dome of the kiln.

PATENT ()rrron.

O is a well hole or opening through the floor of the kiln through which the heat and other products of combustionare conveyed from the furnaces into the center of the kiln; the heatand other products of combustion passing into said well hole or opening 0 from the furnaces through the flues F is a damper or valve which is opened to allow the kiln and contents to firing is completed. I

Rindicates the ash pits, of which but one is shown. a p

S indicates the arched roof of the central draft chamber.

t W indicates the grate bars; and Y indif .cates one of the openings for supplying fuel to the furnaces.

The courses of the heat currents are indicated by arrows which point with the currents. In use the kiln is thus operated: Fires are set in the several furnaces A, and the. damper F in the crown of the kiln is opened and kept open for a sufficient time to furnish proper draft for a thorough kindlingof the fire, when it is closed. .A portion of the heat and procool when the ducts of combustion passes from the furnaces through the flues T to the well hole-or opening 0 in the center of the floor of the kiln, and through the well hole into the kiln chamber,'while another portion of the heat and products of combustion-passes into the chamber through the several fire bags 0 which are v arranged in a circleagainst the innerwall of the kiln, thus diffusing heat rapidly and evenly throughout the body of the kiln.

From the kiln chamber, the heat and products in the crown or dome of the kiln into the fiuesF thereon, and through these-fines F into I the annular fine H, and down through the an-' nular flue into the several fiues K beneath the floor of thekiln, through the fiues K into the fines K, and thence into the central draft chamber, and thence through the main outlet of combustion pass through the openings E ion of the kiln, which is a desideratum. This ef-' feet is further contributed to by the even heating of the crown of the kiln due to the passing of the heat through the flues F to points evenly spaced along the circumference of the crown whence the heat passes down into the annular flue H and produces an even degree of heat on all sides of the kiln chamber. An even draft at all points at the foot of the annularflue H isfeffected by theintroduction of the central draft chamber L and the fines K and K. By the introduction of these features, the degree of heat throughout the annular flue H is maintained evenly, and to great advantage, as will be easily understood. Were the draft chamber L to be located at one side of the kiln, or were any arrangement made by which the products of combustion were not centrally collected beneath the kiln, there would be a strong tendency to an uneven heating of the sides and floor of the'kiln. In kilns of ordinary construction this diffieulty is commonly experienced and especially in windy weather.

It will be observed, of course, that the fines -F on the crown of the kiln might be dispensed with and a double crown constructed into which the heat from the kiln-chamber might be passed th rough graduated openings E, and I do not desire to be restricted to the use of the fines F; but I have shown whatlconsider to be the better construction, as even though the openings E should be made larger near the center of the crown, if the flues F were dispensed with there would be a tendency in the heat to pass unevenly through the double crown and annular flue H, which tendency is overcome by the use of the fines F. It will also be apparent that the form of the kiln may be varied. In its plan it may be square, polygonal, or of other form, and one or several furnaces may be employed, but I have deemed it sufficient to show my construction as applied to a down draft kiln of the common circular form. I do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the specific construction shown; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a kiln, one or more furnaces in combination with flues leading from said furnaces to the bottom of a firing chamber, a firing chamber havinga perforated crown, the openin gs near the center of the crown being larger than those near its edge,-radial flues leading from said graduated openings to the sides of the kiln, an annular fine surrounding the firing chamber on all sides and communieating with said radial flues, flues leading from the annular flue and converging at the center and communicating with a central draft chamber beneath the firing chamber, the central draft chamber, and an outlet fine leading from the central draft chamber to a stack, snbstantiallyas described.

2. In a kiln one or more furnaces in combination with flues leading from said furnaces to the bottom of a firing chamber, a firing chamber having aperforated crown, the openings near the center of the crown being larger than those near its edge, graduated radial fines leading from said graduated openings to the sides of the kiln, an annular flue surrounding the fire chamber on all sides and communicating with said radial flues, radial flues leading from the bottom of the annular fine and converging under the center of the firing chamberand communicating withacentral draft chamber beneath the firing chamber, the central draft chamber, and an outlet flue leading from the central draft chamber to a stack, substantially as described.

3. In a kiln, one or more furnaces in com:

bination with flues leading from said furnaces to the center and sides of the floor of a firing 'fiues leading from the foot of the annular IOC fine and converging beneath the center of the floor of the firing chamber, and an outlet flue leading to a stack, substantially as described.

4. In a kiln, the combination with a series of furnaces, of a firing chamber having a central opening in its floor and a series of fire bags arranged'around its side, fines leading from said furnaces to said central opening and fire bags, a crown at the top of the firing chamber provided with a series of graduated openings, those near its center being larger than thosenear its edges,a central valved opening in the crown, graduated fines leading from said graduated openings in the crown to an annular. flue surrounding the firing chamber on all sides, radial flues leading from the foot of the annular-flue and converging beneath the center of the floor of the firing chamber where they communicate with a central draft chamber provided with an outlet flue leading to a stack, substantially 5 shown and described.

. LEWIS LAWTON. 'Witnesses:

H. F. BAKER, J 0s. L. WATSON. 

